Mike Tomlin Reveals Reason Kenny Pickett Didn’t Play vs. Seahawks

PITTSBURGH — Kenny Pickett did not suit up against the Seattle Seahawks. In fact, he was not even listed as the emergency third quarterback. Mike Tomlin revealed on Monday that Pickett was cleared to play by the medical staff, but since they found that out late in the week, he did not feel comfortable playing Pickett since he did get reps during the week.

“That clarity didn’t come until later in the week,” Tomlin said. “And it was about the distribution of reps and who was best prepared and positioned to help us win. And so that’s the direction that we went with.”

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback throws a pass at practice on Dec. 19, 2023. — Ed Thomson / Steelers Now

Pickett was limited in practice all three days this week, and Tomlin gave that as a reason for Pickett to be inactive in favor of Mitch Trubisky, who once again was the only quarterback dressed behind Rudolph on Sunday. In his mind, the speculation part of Pickett playing on such a short clock, even in an emergency capacity, would not have worked.

“The likelihood of that coupled with the risk in terms of what I didn’t see from him, it would’ve been speculating,” Tomlin said. “And I’m just not into speculating….I don’t have a crystal ball, but I anticipate his availability being less of an issue this week. We’ll see where the week leads us.”

The team gained nothing by holding him out of the lineup. Clubs can dress a third emergency quarterback to give them 49 active players but cannot use that slot for any other position, so they have played the last two games with 48. Now, Kenny Pickett is cleared to play moving forward, but it is unknown if he will act as the team’s backup or if they are starting to move forward. But Pickett wants the ball, and Tomlin knows that.

“Man, he is a competitor,” Tomlin said. “He wants the football, he wants to play, but at the same time he’s a team player. And so, our agenda is winning football games right now, and so I imagine that’s everyone’s mindset.”

On the season, Mason Rudolph is 37 of 54 for 567 yards. He’s completed 68.5% of his passes, has not thrown an interception compared to two touchdowns, and has a passer rating of 115.3. It’s only two games, but the last time the Steelers had a quarterback finish the season with a passer rating over 100 was Ben Roethlisberger in 2014. The last time any quarterback finished a year with a passer rating as high as Rudolph’s is right now was in 2006, when Charlie Batch finished with a 121.0 in parts of eight games.

The team will move forward with Rudolph, but Tomlin did not commit to who would be the starter in the playoffs if that happened, shrugging it off as a fruitless hypothetical for them to consider.